492 Recent Literature. oer 
migration, etc., and a list of all new species and genera arranged syste- 
matically. This publication is invaluable to the working ornithologist 
and deserves a much larger sale than it has had in the past. Its continua- 
tion from year to year is essential to the advance of ornithology and the 
Zoological Society should be given every support possible in the good work 
that it is doing.— W. S. 
Kuser’s ‘The Way to Study Birds.’ !— This attractive little book 
is another of the numerous publications designed to aid the beginner in 
identifying the familiar birds of the eastern states. Mr. Kuser’s plan is 
the reverse of that usually advocated in such books as he presents concise 
accounts of a number of the most abundant species to be found in the 
vicinity of New York City, and then instructs his readers to familiarize 
themselves with the appearance of the first one and go out into the field 
and find it before taking up the second, and so on through the series. That 
he does not discourage the usual plan of finding your bird first and identify- 
ing it from the books later is shown by the fact that he presents a field key 
to be taken into the field or to be used in identifying descriptions made there. 
While the two sets of instructions are somewhat contradictory good results 
may be gotten from each, while the additional information on bird protec- 
tion, winter feeding, note-keeping, bird books and bird societies will answer 
many questions for the reader. The well printed color plates from paintings 
by Louis Agassiz Fuertes add much to the attractiveness of the book.— 
W.S. 
The Birds of Australia.2— The fourth part of Volume VI of Mr. 
Mathews’ work treats almost entirely of the genus Platycercus of which he 
recognizes seven species including some of the most brilliantly colored of 
the Australian parrots. Much interesting information concerning their 
habits and distribution is furnished by the author’s Australian corre- 
spondents, while he has traced out the history of their discovery and as 
usual has considered the nomenclature and synonymy of the species at 
considerable length. We notice only two new names proposed in this 
number, 7. e., Platycercus caledonicus flindersi (p. 328) from Flinders 
Island, and P. eximius colei (p. 360) from Ballarat, Victoria.— W. 8S. 
Brooks on Some Falkland Island Birds.*— Mr. W. Sprague Brooks, 
who recently spent several months on the Falkland Islands in the interests 
of Dr. John C. Phillips, presents in the present paper his notes on the 
forty-three species of birds which came under his observation. Many 
1The Way to Study Birds. By John Dryden Kuser. With 9 Illustrations in Color. 
G. P. Putnam’s Sons. 1917. pp. 1-85. Price $1.25 net. 
2 The Birds of Australia. By Gregory M. Mathews. Vol. VI, part IV. June 27, 1917. 
3 Notes on Some Falkland Island Birds. By W. Sprague Brooks. Bull. Museum 
Comp. Zodl., Vol. LXI, No. 7. June, 1917. pp. 135-160, pls. 1-3. 
